Hardcore Walking for Seniors

For a group of seniors in Baldwinsville, Mondays and Wednesdays have become days dedicated to some hardcore walking.

Mary Dineen started the Wellness Walking Group in 2000. She started out with only three people in her group. But, today, there are at least 40 who walk in the Beaver Lake Nature Center once or twice a week.

The seniors take the 3-mile-long walk not only for health, but also for the love of nature, Dineen said. Some seniors also take this time to socialize with each other.

"It's not just an exercising type of thing. It's a social type of thing which I really enjoy," Roger Dahlin said. "I come out here almost everyday just to walk. A lot of time I walk alone but it's a lot nicer to walk with somebody because anyone needs a social contact."

During their one and a half hour trek in and around the woods, the group often encounters trash including soda cans, cigarette butts, and like today, a soiled baby diaper. Despite littered trails, members of the Wellness Walking Group said they enjoy the company, and the natural scenery nonetheless, and hope to continue their weekly walking tradition for many years to come.